What do you get whenyou mix together an accordian, crazy hair, and a lot oftalent? Why, "Weird Al" Yankovic, of course! "Weird Al"was born on October 23, 1959 in Lynwood, California withthe given name of Alfred Matthew Yankovic. He is stilla California resident and lives in Los Angeles.

He is a graduate of California Polytechnic State Universityin San Luis Obispo where he majored in architecture. Youcould say that Al strayed from architecture. In 1979 hiscareer began oddly enough, in the men’s room across thehall from the radio station at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.This was where Al recorded his first parody (a song thatimitates another work humorously or sarcastically), MyBologna, a delicious spoof of the Knack’s My Sharona.The song aired nationally on the Dr. Demento Show andlaunched one of the most enduring comedy careers of alltime.

During his long and acclaimeddynasty as rock ‘n’ roll’s supreme parodist and its reigningKing of the Accordian, "Weird Al" Yankovic has always had hisfinger on the pulse of popular culture. He has racked up anextensive catalogue of memorable send-ups and original tunes."Weird Al" has also been honored with two Grammy Awards(eight nominations), 20 gold and platinum awards in the U.S.and Canada, a four-CD boxed set retrospective, his own featurefilm, three best-selling home videos, several television specialsfor MTV, Showtime, and the Disney Channel and now has very ownnetwork series. Not too shabby!

Speaking of his cool show, The Weird Al Show debuted onSeptember 13, 1997. You can see Weird Al on CBS TV Saturdays,11:30 AM-12:00 Noon ET/PT (in most markets; check locallistings). Based in Los Angeles, the new comedic seriesshowcases the unique talents of "Weird Al", who hosts theshow from his secret workshop located in a cave miles belowthe Earth’s surface. Each week, Al welcomes a variety ofcelebrity guests and regular characters (including his pethamster and best friend, Harvey). Beginning with its openingtheme, the program features an assortment of Al’s clever songparodies and other filmed segments, both live and animated,which help bring his never ending humor to series televisionfor the first time. It is the first Saturday morning show inmany years created to appeal to both kids and adults, "TheWeird Al Show" will stand as the cornerstone of CBS Saturdaymorning line-up.

"Weird Al"is no stranger to the Internet. A bona fide and genuinesuper-celebrity in cyberspace, there are no less than 56 separate webpages devoted to Al. Besides Yahoo!, his other favorite web sites are:

During a short break between directing his own videos forAmish Paradise and Gump, "Weird Al" wrote, directed, andstarred in the opening title sequence to the Disney movieSpy Hard. He received wide-spread critical praise from suchnotable publications as The New York Times, USA Today, The LosAngeles Times, and Variety for his hilarious James Bond-stylesend-up. Time for a break? Nope! Next came AL-TV, Al's seventhspecial for MTV. Premiering in May, on the eve of his "Bad HairTour," the show achieved powerful ratings at the music networkand has since been repeated more than 35 times. In a 17-year career packed full of notable hits, Bad HairDay quickly became Al’s highest- charting, fastest-sellingalbum thus far. It spent a total of 56 weeks on Billboard’sTop 200, where it peaked at No. 14, and has sold more than1.7 million units. Gives a new meaning to "having a bad hairday", doesn’t it? Instead of taking a well-deserved break atthe end of last year’s tour, Al turned his creative energytoward directing once again. This time he went behind the lensto shoot the video Wail for the quirky blues/punk outfit TheJon Spencer Blues Explosion.

In December of 1996,"Weird Al" Yankovic: There’s No Going Home," a one-hourconcert and comedy special, debuted on The Disney Channeland aired six more times throughout December and January1997."Weird Al" is the undisputed Big Kahuna of Pop Culture,the man who has singularly redefined the world of musicalcomedy. He is a unique fixture in the pop mainstream and atrue comic icon recognized alongside such time-honoredorganizations as Saturday Night Live and Mad Magazine.